Master camera for producing components for integral photography

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a camera and process for the production of precision components for use in the process of integral photography in which the lenslets of a lenticular sheet have apertured diaphragm sheets and/or apertured field-limiting sheets forming part of the lens system, the apertures being uniformly arranged in square, or more preferably hexagonal array. The camera also includes means for providing a negative to be exposed therein with accurate registering indices which serve to locate the negative and its derivatives so that all apertures as may be accurately coaxially registered with other apertures as well as with the lenslets of the lenticular sheet with which they are to be used.

United States Patent Primary Examiner-John M. Horan Attorney-Morgan, Finnegan, Durham & Pine ABSTRACT: The present invention provides a camera and process for the production of precision components for use in the process of integral photography in which the lenslets of a lenticular sheet have apertured diaphragm sheets and/or apertured field-limiting sheets forming part of the lens system, the apertures being uniformly arranged in square, or more preferably hexagonal array. The camera also includes means for providing a negative to be exposed therein with accurate registering indices which serve to locate the negative and its derivatives so that all apertures as may be accurately coaxially registered with other apertures as well as with the lenslets of the lenticular sheet with which they are to be used.

' PATENTEU FEE] 6 |97| SHEU 1 BF 8 INVENTOR.

ROGER LANNES de MONTEBELLO BY MORGAN, FINNEGAN, DURHAM Bu PINE ATTORNEYS PATENTEB FEB 1 6 WI SHEET 2 UF 8 INVENTOR.

ROGER LANNES de MONTEBELLO BY MORGAN. FINNEGAN. DURHAM 8 PINE ATTORNEYS PATENIEDFEBIBIQ?! 3563147 sum 3 0F 8 INVENTOR.

ROGER LANNES de MONTEBELLO MORGAN, FINNEGAN, DURHAM 8 PINE ATTORNEYS PATENIEDFEB16|971 v I 3563147 :5: ////A 3% M |||fllllhllllllmhllhlllllllllllllll INVEN ROGER LANNES de MONTEB 0 BY MORGAN, FINNEGAN, DURHAM a PINE ATTORNEYS PATENTE-U AFEBIIBIHYI 3.563; 147 sum 5 0F 8 FIG'5 INVENTOR.

ROGER LANNES de MONTEBELLO MORGAN, FINNEGAN, DURHAM 8| PINE ATTORNEYS PATENTEnFEmsmn 3563147 4 sumsura INVENTOR.

ROGER LANNES de MONTEBELLO MoRGANyFlNNEGANyDuRHAM 8| PINE FIG-I2 ATTORNEYS PATENTEU FEB] 6 my I SHEET") 0K8 m T N E V m ROGER LANNES de MONTEBELLO MORGAN, FINNEGA N, DURHAM a mug ATTORNEYS PATENTED FEB] 6191! 31563147 SHEETBUFS NNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NE TTTTTTT YS MASTER CAMERA FOR PRODUCING COMPONENTS FOR INTEGRAL PHOTOGRAPHY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the making of integral photograms it is desirable and sometimes essential to supply opaque, usually metallic, sheets which are provided over their surface with a large number of uniformly spaced, regularly arranged apertures or transparent areas to serve illustratively as an apertured diaphragm sheet, an apertured fieldlimiting sheet, a member for locating molding elements to form a particular mold for forming a lenticular sheet, or as a supporting member forholding an embossed photographic material in a predetermined relation with a lenticular sheet. It is also of great importance that each of the apertured sheets and elements derived from them be capable of being accurately registered with each other so that the apertures may be coaxially registered with others on a different sheet or with lenslets of one or more lenticular sheets. Also, it is important that provision be made for producing apertures which are of the same size'over the entire sheet and uniformly positioned with respect to registering indices, and that provision be made for widely varying the size of these apertures from sheet to sheet while maintaining their uniform spacing, preferably as a hexagonal array.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The camera of the present invention includes a base member for supporting a photographic plate or stable base film (hereinafter referred to as plate"), a removable lenticular sheet having a large number of closely-packed small lenslets, preferably in hexagonal array and of uniform focal length, which are adapted to focus images of a target member on the radiation sensitive plate supported on the base member. Means are provided for initiallybringing the lenticular sheet into proximity to the plate,and means (preferably vacuum means) are provided for bringing the rear face of the lenticular sheet into firm, uniform contact with the face of the plate, so that the lenticular sheet is held flat and the plate substantially in the focal plane of thelenslets of the lenticular sheet. For providing the plate, adjacent its margins. with accurately located indices or registering marks, the frame holding the lenticular sheet is provided with two or more widely spaced illuminated members, slidably movable toward and away from the surface of the plate, and adapted to be brought into firm contact with the face of the plate as suction is applied to the space between the lenticular sheet and the plate, the illuminated members also being moved toward the face ofthe plate, preferably by the applied'suction, or less desirably by spring tension. y

In front of the lenticular sheet of the camera is a copyholder adapted to support a circular or regular hexagonal target held accurately parallel to and centered on the lenticular sheet and sensitive plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, detailed side elevation of the camera showing it in loading position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, detailed front elevation of portions of the camera;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the irregular line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the back portion of the camera, with certain parts removed;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, detailed sectional view of a preferred form of lenticular sheet used in the preferred embodiment ofthe invention; 7

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of the copyboard with a target or object to be copied in place;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, greatly enlarged plan view of a photographic negative produced according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a similar smaller, fragmentary view of a negative produced from a different target or copy;

FIG. 10 is a similar fragmentary view of a negative produced from a hexagonal target;

FIG. I] is a fragmentary view on a still smaller, but enlarged scale, of a negative showing a typical relation of the dots and a register index to the edges of the negative at one corner thereof; and

FIG. I2 is a fragmentary plan view ofa portion of an imageforming screen, on an enlarged scale, which screen may be used as a substitute for the lenticular sheet shown in FIG. 6.

The foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well as exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The camera of the present invention according to the preferred and illustrative embodiment of the invention, comprises a rigid backing member I0, having a fiat front surface 12 on which a photographic plate 14 may be supported to be exposed.

The camera is rigidly mounted as on metal plate I6 which may be mounted in a permanent manner on a wall 18. Plate 16 is rigidly mounted on wall 18 by means of lug screws 20 and spacing blocks 22. Backing member l0 is adjustably spaced from the plate 16 by means of a plurality of widely spaced threaded members 24 which are threaded into plate 16 and are slidable within bore holes in the backing member 10. Threaded member 24 is firmly held in plate 16 by means of a jam nut 26 and washers 28, while the backing member 10 is positioned by means of the members 24, their jam nuts 30 and washers 32. I

A frame member 40 carrying a lenticular sheet 42 is mounted in front of the backing member 10 so that the lenticular sheet 42 may be moved into and out of contact with the sheet or plate 14.

The frame member 40 is an open rectangular frame having extension brackets 43 at its upper ends, which are pivotally mounted by pin and slot connections 45 to brackets 49 extending upwardly from the upper portion of the backing member 10, so that the lenticular sheet 42 may be moved ad jacent the plate 14 or to a position remote therefrom.

In the illustrative embodiment, the frame 40 carries the lenticular sheet 42.

The lenticular sheet 42 comprises a multiplicity of minute lenslets 48 having spherically convex front surfaces to focus images of the copy on the surface of the plate member I4.

Frame 40 is located with respectto the backing member by means of locating pins 58 which extend forwardly from the lower edge of member 10 andare adapted to pass through fitting apertures 60 at the lower edge of frame 40, thus provid ing a coarse, approximate location of the lenticular sheet 42 with respect to plate 14.

Lenticular sheet 42 preferably comprises a multiplicity of positive lenslets, each having a substantially spherical face 48, with the lenslets all of equal focal length. The lenticular sheet is preferably formed ofa clear, transparent plastic resin, such as polyester resin. While the lenslets may be of almost any size, depending upon the use of the resulting product, a usual size is is that the lenslets in hexagonal array have their centers spaced about three thirty-seconds inch from each other. The same preferred spacing would apply to the lenslets arranged in a square array.

Each of the lenslets of the lenticular sheet 42 used in carrying out the present invention is preferably provided with a diaphragm aperture to improve the quality of the image formed by the lenslet and to confer rigidity to the sheet and prevent dimensional changes between takes. Such diaphragm aperture sheets may be prepared from an image produced by the present camera, but the initial lenticular sheet may be used even without such diaphragm apertures. especially where high contrast plates are used and provided that the lenticular sheet is dimensionally stable.

In closed position for exposing the plate 14, a sealing gasket 66 is provided between the frame 40 and the backing member 10, so that the space between the lenticular sheet 42 and the plate 14 and backing member may be subjected to suction to bring the back face of the lenticular sheet 42, the plate 14 and the backing member into firm flat contact, the flatness being provided by the backing member.

Means are provided for applying suction to the space between the lenslet sheet 42 and the backing plate 10, and comprise the suction connection 67 which is connected by a passage 68 which communicates with apertures 70 on the edge of the surface of the backing member, communicating with the space 72 surrounding the edges of plate 14 to allow air to flow from the plate area to the suction connection 67, so as to draw the lenticular sheet 42 into firm contact with the plate 14 and against the flat face'l2 of the backing member 10.

Toggle bracket means are provided for holding the frame 40 and the lenticular sheet 42 in raised position while the plate 14 is.positioned against the face 12 of the backing member. The backing member 10 is provided with three plate locating pins 74 extending slightly above the face 12 and serving to engage two adjacent edges of the plate 14 so that it may be properly located on the backing member.

The toggle bracket means comprise a link 76 pivotally connected to link 78 by pivot bolt 80. Link 76 is pivotally mounted by cap screw 82 on an edge of the base member 10, while link 78 is pivotally mounted on an edge of frame 40 by means of cap screw 84.

At least two widely spaced points in the frame 40 and overlying the margins of the plate 14, are provided means for exon the plate, to be revealed as the plate is developed, and forming register indices which may be carried by the plate throughout all subsequent uses of the exposed and processed plate. In the two widely spaced places, frame 40 is provided with bores in which are slidably mounted metal tubes 86 having an inner chamfered end adapted to be seated on the face of the plate 14. A portion of the tube 86 is mounted in an aperture in a block 88. At its outer end, each tube 86 is provided with an airtight sealing disc 90 which is a translucent, light diffusing member, in front of which is mounted a small light bulb, in a housing 94, so that the light from each lamp 92, confined by the inner end of tube 86 exposes the plate 14 near its margin thus forming an exposed circle or large dot.

As suction is applied to the plate 14, the tubes 86 are forced towards the surface of the plate 14 so that clean, sharp images of the tubes 86 are formed to serve as register indices in the further use of the plate 14 in making apertured sheets where these indices will be converted by etching using a photomechanical resist into holes to register the apertured sheets with each other on pins regardless of the size or shape of the apertures in the respective sheets.

The master camera is focused upon a target or copy object the image of which is to be focused upon the plate 14 by each of the lenslets of the lenticular sheet. The copy or target 100 is mounted on a copyboard 102, parallel to and centered on the surface of the plate 14, and spaced-at the desired distance from the lenticular sheet, depending upon the image size and/or pitch required. The target 100 preferably comprises a circular piece of matte white cardboard, or a regular geometrical figure, such as a hexago while tliecopyboard 102 is preferably black. W

The copyboard 102 is supported on a pair of upright members 104 which are mounted for slidable movement by means of sleeves 106 movable along the rails 108 and 110 supported on the floor or ceiling ofthe camera room.

The target 100 is illuminated for photographing by means of a circularly arranged series of lamps I12 uniformly spaced around the camera and preferably mounted on the wall 18. The exposure is controlled by the switching on and off of the lamps, the room otherwise remaining safe lighted while the plate 14 is in the camera.

posing the plate in limited areas to form register index marks 4 The size of the images formed by the lenslets of the target may be varied widely fromminute to relatively large dots all in the same positions with respect to each other and with respect to the register indices, regardless of the size of the dots.

The pitch between images is controlled by the distance of the target; and the size of the images formed by the lenslets is controlled by the size of the target. In addition, and considering that the minimum target distance is effectively equivalent to infinity relative to the lens size,the edge of a very small target will be imaged near the axis of each lenslet at a distance from the lenslets, principal point which is a function of the refractive index of'thematerial, as is well known. However, the edge of a very large target willlbe imaged relatively far from the axis and therefore the path of the marginal rays forming the image of this edge will be longer, the larger the target. Since good focusis obtained at a given distance because the object is effectively at infinity the thicknessof the lenticular 1 sheet must be modified depending upon the size of the target. For this purpose the sheet is made to correspond to the largest possible target size requirements. For smaller target sizes, compensating clear sheets are added between the lenticular sheet and the emulsion of the plate 14, and the target distance is modified so that its ratio to the image distance from the principal point of the lenslet remains constant. In this way the pitch remains constant. Finally, a relatively small adjustment in target size will compensate for the added or reduced target distance. i

FIG. 8 illustrates on a greatly enlarged scale a negative produced by the camera of the present invention when photographing a circular target much smaller than 100. As shown, the exposed and developed plate 14 is covered over most of its surface with an array of circular dots 114 arranged in a hexagonal pattern. These dots are of uniform size and like the lenslets, are arranged in a hexagonal pattern. Near one edge of the plate-14 is shown one'of the index marks 86' formed by one of the illuminated tubes 86.

FIG. 9 is a plan view, on a greatly enlarged scale, of a central portion of an exposed and developed plate 14 in which the array of opaque dots 1 I4 are of relatively enlarged size.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a negative on which are produced an array of hexagonal dots 116 produced by photographing a hexagonal target.

In each instance, the negatives include two or more register indices 86' near an edge thereof, and preferably near an edge of the plate and outside of the field of the array of dots H4. 114' or 116. Thus, when the negative is reproduced in any of the subsequent reproductions ofthe negative, the dots in the negative are accurately registered with respect to the register indices 86'.

The register indices 86' control the subsequent use of the negative, regardless of the size of the dots 114, 114' or I16, and enable the dots ofone negative to be accurately registered coaxially with the dots of different size or shape on another negative produced in the same camera and with the same len ticular sheet 42. Usually, the register indices 86' serve to produce etched and/or electroformed apertures which may be engaged by register pins as various reproductions of the negative are assembled in a multilayer structure, as shown in FIG. 6.

Other means than the lenticular sheet 42 may be provided as an image forming array of light passageways. One such alternative sheet may comprise a flat screen 120 (FIG. 12) having uniform small transparent apertures arranged in a hexagonal array on an otherwise opaque field 124, each of the apertures acting as in a pinhole camera to form an image on the photographic plate 14 against which the screen is mounted, with the apertures uniformly spaced from the sensitive surface of the plate 14.

Preferably, the screen is formed similarly to a Levy halftone screen by two ruled sheets of glass each having relatively wide opaque lines parallel with and uniformly spaced from each other, being separated by clear. transparent lines. While the width of the opaque and clear lines may vary widely. the

opaque lines should be many times the width of the clear lines.

usually about 9 or 10 times their width. Thus, the clear lines may each be about 0.0l0 inch in width while the opaque lines may each be about 0.100 inch in width, and each of the glass sheets forming the screen may be about 0.100 inch in thickness.

To form the hexagonal array of image forming elements, the two ruled glass sheets are placed with their ruled faces in contact with each other and with the rulings on one glass sheet extending at 60 to the rulings on the facing glass sheet. With the ruled glass sheets in this position, the sheets are bound together around their edges, thus providing an array of small, uniform, diamond shaped, image forming elements, each about 0.011 inch across or less, uniformly distributed over the nti e atee Oft r n- When positioned in the camera, in place of the lenticular sheet 42, each of the clear spaces in the screen, spaced from the face of the plate 14, forms an image of the target to produce a negative as shown in H6. 8 or 9, depending on the shape of the target 100.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific steps, processes, and mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

1 claim:

1. A camera for producing a screen pattern with marginal register marks on a photographic plate comprising a plate supporting base member, a frame member to be moved toward and away from the plate, a sheet having an array of individual image-forming light passageways carried by the frame and to be brought into contact with the plate, means for forcing the photographic plate against the image-forming array sheet, and means on the frame to expose relatively small index marks spaced a fixed distance from each other and having fixed positions relative to the array contact with the plate, means for applying suction to the space between the plate holding base member and the lenticular sheet, means on the frame to expose relatively small index marks spaced a fixed distance from each other and having fixed positions relative to the array sheet upon an edge of the plate to provide register means thereon for the images formed by the array.

2. A camera for producing a screen pattern with marginal register marks on a photographic plate comprising a plate supporting base member, a frame member to be moved toward and away from the plate, a sheet having an image-forming array of light passageways carried by the frame and to be brought into sheet upon an edge of the plate to provide rcgister means thereon for the images formedby the array.

3. A camera according to claim 2 in which the means to expose the index marks comprises illuminated tubes slidably carried by the frame and having their inner ends engageable with the surface of the plate, said tubes being subject to the suction, whereby the tubes are seated against the plate when suction is applied.

4. A camera according to claim 2 in which the light passageways are lenslets of the same focal length. 1

5. A camera according to claim. 4 in which each light passageway is a lenslet provided with a diaphragm aperture at its principal point.

6. A camera according to claim 2 in which the light passageways are regularly spaced clear areas formed by two ruled screens in contact with each other.

7. A process for producing a screen pattern of a target on a set of photographic plates using a lens system having an array of individual image-forming light passageways carried by a frame and adapted to contact the surface of successive photographic plates, which comprises providing fixed means for exposin by contact the successive plates to fixed, widely space register means adjacent the periphery of said plates,

varying the size of the target or the distance of the target from the lens array and varying the distance of the plates from the lens array while maintaining the ratio of the distance of the target from the lens array to the distance of the plates from the lens array constant as the target size is varied, the target size being increased or decreased as the distances are respectively decreased or increased, whereby the pitch is accurately preserved while the size of the images is varied.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,563,147 Dated February 16, 1971 Inventor(5) Roger L. d8 Montebello It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified pate and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Title page, Inventor s Name "Roger L. De Montebello" shoul --Roger L. de Montebello-- Abstract, line 10 after "apertures" del "as". Column 2, line 1 after "similar" delete "smaller"; line 13 af "as well" delete "as and insert -are--; line 62 after "is" delete Column 3, line 30 after "At insert --at--. Column 5, line 39 after "array" delete "contact with the plate, means for applying suction 1: space between the plate holding base member and the lenticular sheet means on the frame to expose relatively small index marks spaced at f distance from each other and having fixed positions relative to the sheet upon an edge of the plate to provide register means thereon fo images formed by the array" and insert --sheet upon an edge of the p to provide register means thereon for the images formed by the array Column 6, line 11 after "into" delete "sheet upon an edge of the pla provide register means thereon for the images formed by the array" a1 insert --contact with the plate, means for applying suction to the s between the plate holding base member and the lenticular sheet, mean: the frame to expose relatively small index marks spaced a fixed distz from each other and having fixed positions relative to the plate to 1 vide register means thereon for the images formed by the array-'- 31 g me! and sealed this 29th day of Angus t 1972 (SEAL) Atte st EDWARD M .FLETCHEH ,JR ROBERT GOTTSGHALK Atte sting Officer Commissioner of Pate F ORM PO-lOSO (IO-69) 

1. A camera for producing a screen pattern with marginal register marks on a photographic plate comprising a plate supporting base member, a frame member to be moved toward and away from the plate, a sheet having an array of individual imageforming light passageways carried by the frame and to be brought into contact with the plate, means for forcing the photographic plate against the image-forming array sheet, and means on the frame to expose relatively small index marks spaced a fixed distance from each other and having fixed positions relative to the array contact with the plate, means for applying suction to the space between the plate holding base member and the lenticular sheet, means on the frame to expose relatively small index marks spaced a fixed distance from each other and having fixed positions relative to the array sheet upon an edge of the plate to provide register means thereon for the images formed by the array.
 2. A camera for producing a screen pattern with marginal register marks on a photographic plate comprising a plate supporting base mEmber, a frame member to be moved toward and away from the plate, a sheet having an image-forming array of light passageways carried by the frame and to be brought into sheet upon an edge of the plate to provide register means thereon for the images formed by the array.
 3. A camera according to claim 2 in which the means to expose the index marks comprises illuminated tubes slidably carried by the frame and having their inner ends engageable with the surface of the plate, said tubes being subject to the suction, whereby the tubes are seated against the plate when suction is applied.
 4. A camera according to claim 2 in which the light passageways are lenslets of the same focal length.
 5. A camera according to claim 4 in which each light passageway is a lenslet provided with a diaphragm aperture at its principal point.
 6. A camera according to claim 2 in which the light passageways are regularly spaced clear areas formed by two ruled screens in contact with each other.
 7. A process for producing a screen pattern of a target on a set of photographic plates using a lens system having an array of individual image-forming light passageways carried by a frame and adapted to contact the surface of successive photographic plates, which comprises providing fixed means for exposing by contact the successive plates to fixed, widely spaced, register means adjacent the periphery of said plates, varying the size of the target or the distance of the target from the lens array and varying the distance of the plates from the lens array while maintaining the ratio of the distance of the target from the lens array to the distance of the plates from the lens array constant as the target size is varied, the target size being increased or decreased as the distances are respectively decreased or increased, whereby the pitch is accurately preserved while the size of the images is varied. 